


Unpractised Escape

by choppyVy



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Extended Fire Escape Scene, Intimacy, M/M, Novelty, Short Filler 2x05, Wishful Thinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 18:05:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9914621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choppyVy/pseuds/choppyVy
Summary: Really just a short filler for the to me at least emotionally somewhat unfulfilling fire escape Malec scene in 2x05. Enjoy:)





	

Alec is not sure whether he is hiding out here … or hoping, hoping to be found.  
The sound of a door handle being pushed down is surprisingly loud to his ears, despite the nightly noises of New York City surrounding him, taking away some of the sting of consciousness.   
Seeing Magnus, meeting Magnus’ eyes is … a mix of many things. Concern, doubt, apprehension … longing, so much longing unrealized still.   
“You okay?”  
“I can’t be in that institute.”  
“Alec,” there is pain in Magnus’ voice.  
Deflecting is Alec’s specialty, “Heard you turned in Camille. How’d that go?”  
“Honestly? … it was awful. We had a lot of history she and I. … I’m sorry if that’s weird.”  
“It’s not weird. You say what you think.”  
Magnus has long noticed Alec being unable to stop fidgeting with his right hand, “Too busy to use a healing rune?”  
Alec averts his eyes, “I’m fine.”  
Magnus shakes his head, “No, you’re not. You’re hurting … badly. You hope the pain here,” Magnus stretches out and flexes his own right hand, then lifts it and points with it at his chest, his heart, “will overpower the pain there. I wish it were that simple.”  
“I let a demon in, Magnus.” The guilt he feels bleeds through his voice.  
Magnus still reaches, “That wasn’t your fault.”  
It is a wet reply, Alec choking back stronger emotions, “I don’t know what to say to Clary. I can’t face her.”  
Magnus’ answer is as determined as the gaze Alec finds focused on himself when Magnus’ voice demands his focus, “But you will. Because that’s what you do, Alexander. It may take you a minute, but I’ve seen it up close. I went to your wedding. You’ll blow up the very ground that you stand on to make something right.”  
It bursts out of Alec then, “Sometimes I just feel like running. … never stopping.”  
Magnus pushes himself off the wall then he had so heavily been leaning on, feeling slightly unsteady on his legs himself tonight. One step, two. And Magnus is waiting, waiting for Alec to tell him to back off, like he has done before. To let him go, to leave him be. But he does not and Magnus takes two more steps, Alec still not so much leaning, Magnus notices now, but slumped against the iron bars.   
Magnus can see the true level of exhaustion edged into Alec’s face now. Gaze questioning he reaches out for Alec’s hand, watches Alec’s eyes flutter shut, a deep breath, a shaky half sob bursting forward as Magnus caresses the roughened up skin.  
“Don’t use magic. … please. Not on this.” Alec begs, body still held up by anything but Alec himself.  
“I’d never. I know.”  
Alec cannot cry, he feels too numb, needs it therefore all the more, Magnus gathering him into his arms, holding on, firm, tight.  
Alec can hardly breath. Comfort, it is a strange, unpractised escape.


End file.
